In addition to meeting the general admission requirements to a master’s program at Fairmont State University students applying to the master’s program in criminal justice must meet the following requirements (all application material should be submitted to Student Services):

Unconditional admission:

Possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution

GPA of 3.00 or higher – includes all transcripts from all previous degrees and matriculation

Complete a writing sample

A 5-10 page description of:

Why the applicant is interested in earning a Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree,

What the applicant’s career and field experiences have been thus far, and

What the applicant believes to be the most important issue in criminal justice today.

This paper needs to be submitted in APA format and the last section should include peer reviewed resources from empirical/scholarly literature. The writing sample has replaced the use of the GRE for the criminal justice program; GRE scores are not required for admission to the MS in CJ program.

It is strongly recommended that students applying to the MS in CJ program take undergraduate research methods and statistics courses.

Submit three letters of recommendation – at least one of which must be from someone unaffiliated with Fairmont State University

Provisional Admission may be granted for students who do not meet a portion of the admission requirements. For example, if a student graduated with a 3.0 GPA but had not taken statistics, this could be taken concurrently with graduate enrollment within the first 9 hours of graduate study.

Continuation in a program of study for provisionally admitted students will be determined based on performance in the first 9 credit hours. Provisionally admitted students must hold a minimum grade point average of 3.0 with no grade lower than “B” in any graduate course. Provisionally admitted students may not have a grade of “I” or “W” in the first 9 credit hours.

"My experiences as both a student and graduate assistant have allowed me to work side by side with my professors which has allowed me to learn from their real-world experiences in the field. The entire Criminal Justice Department here at Fairmont State has helped educate me and prepare me for whatever my future holds. Having a master's degree from Fairmont State will increase my career opportunities and give me a competitive edge in today's job market."